Fear fades as police force grows, crime drops

Sunday

Feb 23, 2014 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Stockton's police force is growing, violent crime is on the decline, and the sense of fear that gripped large swaths of San Joaquin County in recent years has begun to subside, community leaders affirm.

Jason Anderson

STOCKTON - Stockton's police force is growing, violent crime is on the decline, and the sense of fear that gripped large swaths of San Joaquin County in recent years has begun to subside, community leaders affirm.

Homicides were down 54.9 percent and violent crimes decreased by 21.9 percent in Stockton in 2013, according to statistics released by the Stockton Police Department. Law enforcement officials, civic leaders, business leaders and community members agree there is more work to do, but they said the perception of public safety is improving in Stockton and surrounding communities throughout the county.

"The perception has changed," Downtown Stockton Alliance Chief Executive Officer Leandro Vicuņa said. "There's a bigger sense of security in light of the changes that have happened over the past year. We're trending in the right direction, and that's exactly what Stockton needs."

Vicuņa and other community members credited local, state and federal law enforcement agencies for their efforts to fight an epidemic of violence after Stockton set city records with 58 homicides in 2011 and 71 in 2012. Some cite the implementation of Operation Ceasefire, the creation of the Community Response Team and other multiagency law enforcement missions. Others point to smaller initiatives such as the return of officers who patrol downtown Stockton streets on bicycles.

"The Downtown Stockton Alliance was the agency that paid for two fulltime bike patrol officers to canvas all of downtown, and they were doing an excellent job," Vicuņa said. "With the addition of two additional bike patrol officers, funded by the City of Stockton, we put together an excellent and comprehensive canvassing of the entire downtown area.

"Downtown business owners have been very pleased with the additional coverage and the reduction of loitering, panhandling and assaults. The fact that those have been reduced has led to a heightened sense of public safety. Obviously, when those things occur, it disrupts business, and when you see less of that, business begins to thrive more," he said.

Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones agreed that crime can be bad for businesses.

"We as a police department know that two things really play into how safe people feel within their community: No. 1, the actual crime that occurs; and No. 2, but probably an even bigger factor, is their perceptions of safety and security. Regardless, actual and perceived fear is very important, and we recognize that public safety has a big role in that. We also recognize that a safe community brings more business to an area and helps with economic development."

Jones noted that he and his staff attend many community meetings, including meetings held by Neighborhood Watch groups, the Downtown Stockton Alliance, the Stockton Business Council and the South Stockton Merchants Association, among others.

Jones said many business leaders have expressed concerns about quality-of-life issues such as blight, drug sales and prostitution. Jones plans to hire 120 new officers over the next three years, following the recent passage of Measures A and B, which will allow the Police Department to address those issues as part of its three-year strategic plan, Jones said.

"I hear more often than not that people feel safer, but I also hear from the business community about frustrations with property crime and quality-of-life issues," Jones said. "That is a primary reason why we're really looking forward to rolling out our three-year strategic plan and, in particular, our Neighborhood Blitz teams, which are really going to go into neighborhoods and address those quality-of-life issues."

South Stockton Merchants Association President Mark Stebbins isn't convinced that more officers will result in less crime, but he believes quality-of-life improvements will help.

"I'm more interested in the economic conditions of people in Stockton and literacy and things like that, and also programs which are positive in terms of putting people in better life situations," Stebbins said. "Those are things that will lead to less crime and a better business environment, and a better business environment is oftentimes part and parcel to less crime."

Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8279 or janderson@recordnet.com. Follow him at www.recordnet.com/crimeblog or on Twitter @Stockton911.

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